Colorado floods: More than 700 evacuated in largest aerial rescue operation since Hurricane Katrina, officials say

More than 1,200 people <a abp="544" data-rapid_p="1" href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder-flood/ci_24098263/boulder-flood-2013-evacuations-top-1200-rescue" target="_blank">have been rescued</a> in the wake of the flood that's left at least six people dead and hundreds unaccounted for in Colorado, officials there say.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img abp="1079" alt="An aerial view of vehicles submerged in flood waters along the Sough Platte River near Greenley" class="vlz" height="369" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/0YVpehMCmmVielYsw8fwhw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0yNjA7cT04NTt3PTQ1MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-09-15T202203Z_3_CBRE98E148000_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-USA-COLORADO-FLOODING.JPG" style="line-height: 300px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="An aerial view of vehicles submerged in flood waters along the Sough Platte River near Greenley" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An aerial view of vehicles submerged in flood waters along the South Platte River near Greenley, Colorado September 14, 2013. REUTERS/John Wark</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The rescues are part of what National Guard Lt. Col. Mitch Utterback says is <a abp="547" data-rapid_p="2" href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder-flood/ci_24098263/boulder-flood-2013-evacuations-top-1200-rescue" target="_blank">the largest aerial rescue operation since Hurricane Katrina in 2005</a>. <a abp="548" data-rapid_p="3" href="https://twitter.com/boulderpolice/status/379236738461220864" target="_blank">According to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office</a>, about 700 people were evacuated via air.<br /><br />"It's been an amazing day," Boulder Sheriff Joe Pelle said at a news conference late Saturday. "An amazing 24 hours of saving lives."<br /><br abp="552" />About 200 people were airlifted from Jamestown, Colo., to Boulder Municipal Airport, Pelle said.<br /><br abp="554" />Other rescues were conducted by land. Roughly 500 people were driven out of Lyons, Colo., but impassable roads in other parts of the state forced rescue officials to dispatch helicopters. The Wyoming National Guard sent five Black Hawk helicopters and 20 crew members to Colorado to assist in the<br />evacuations<br /><br /><br />.<img abp="1675" alt="Tow crews work to assist stranded cars from South Boulder Road after heavy rains caused flooding in Boulder Colorado" class="ymg-id9beae0c00173e0660f4f613e2843c420" height="352" itemprop="contentURL" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QtsuqRFCFX8m_.266CFG4w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0yNDg7cT04NTt3PTQ1MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-09-13T204324Z_9_CBRE98B1AM300_RTROPTP_2_USA-COLORADO-FLOODING.JPG" style="line-height: 300px;" title="" vsrc="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QtsuqRFCFX8m_.266CFG4w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0yNDg7cT04NTt3PTQ1MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-09-13T204324Z_9_CBRE98B1AM300_RTROPTP_2_USA-COLORADO-FLOODING.JPG" width="640" /><br /><br />Still, news of the successful rescue effort was tempered by uncertainty.<br /><br abp="558" />More than 230 people remained unaccounted for in Boulder County and another 482 in Larimer County, officials said Sunday, cautioning that the death toll could rise as the floodwaters recede.<br /><br abp="560" />"There might be further loss of life," <a abp="561" data-rapid_p="4" href="http://news.yahoo.com/hundreds-missing-colorado-floods-002444079.html" target="_blank">Pelle said</a>. "It's certainly a high probability."<br /><br abp="563" />But officials were also optimistic that some of those unaccounted were counted twice, or were safe but unable to communicate with family members.<br /><br abp="565" />The Denver Post <a abp="566" data-rapid_p="5" href="http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24087456/boulder-police-chief-says-things-are-looking-better" target="_blank">reported</a> Wiyanna Nelson and Wesley Quinlan, a 19-year-old couple, were driving west of Boulder when their car became stuck in the raging floodwaters.<br /><br abp="568" />Two additional victims whose homes were swept away were also feared dead, sheriff's spokesman John Schulz <a abp="569" data-rapid_p="6" href="http://news.yahoo.com/rains-pound-flood-ravaged-colorado-woman-may-fifth-014455804.html" target="_blank">said Sunday</a>, bringing the death toll to six.<br /><br abp="571" />An 80-year-old woman "was injured and couldn't get out of her house, and when neighbors went back to help her, the house was gone," Schulz said. A 60-year-old woman who lived in the same area likely died in the flood, too.<br /><br abp="573" />More than 4,000 residents along Boulder Creek were ordered evacuated as Boulder remains under a flash flood watch through Sunday afternoon. Heavy rains are forecast through at least midday, hampering the air rescue effort.<br /><br abp="575" />"Ground rescues will continue today even if the helicopters can't fly," Boulder Police public information officer Kim Kobel <a abp="576" data-rapid_p="7" href="https://twitter.com/boulderpolice/status/379235509463040000" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.<br /><br abp="578" />Meanwhile, officials warn that while the weather conditions may improve later Sunday, the situation remains dangerous.<br /><br abp="580" />According to University of Colorado police spokesman Ryan Huff, one student was stopped from tubing on Boulder Creek.<br /><br abp="582" />"This is not the time to be playing around," Huff <a abp="583" data-rapid_p="8" href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder-flood/ci_24098263/boulder-flood-2013-evacuations-top-1200-rescue" target="_blank">told the Daily Camera</a>. "This continues to be a dangerous situation."<br /><br /><img abp="1962" alt="A home and car are stranded after a flash flood in Coal Creek destroyed the bridge near Golden, Colorado" class="ymg-id49ca41f45506cbd995f0d1899838b8e5" height="390" itemprop="contentURL" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RGW4S_ybmdCMJsvwZ73FtA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0yNzU7cT04NTt3PTQ1MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-09-14T024352Z_7_CBRE98B1KIV00_RTROPTP_2_USA.JPG" style="line-height: 300px;" title="" vsrc="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RGW4S_ybmdCMJsvwZ73FtA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0yNzU7cT04NTt3PTQ1MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-09-14T024352Z_7_CBRE98B1KIV00_RTROPTP_2_USA.JPG" width="640" />

Colorado floods: More than 700 evacuated in largest aerial rescue operation since Hurricane Katrina, officials say

More than 1,200 people have been rescued in the wake of the flood that's left at least six people dead and hundreds unaccounted for in ...

Colorado Springs bans recreational marijuana shops

The City Council of Colorado Springs voted 5-4 to bar retail pot stores after Mayor Steve Bach threatened to veto any move to approve them.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDS4qjUIwuMhyUgk6meWpZyh8XrhTsjIF-Wv6DRZgr6Xwsh7llZDgk0fXwQHr4_YMZgeojYMCo8ORLqH55HyXEfn05LGeVilLdO3RfmNqhU9l0S8WXJC0HrJONJuXeT4EQ-HvbKNFpI4/s1600/Colorado-Springs-CO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDS4qjUIwuMhyUgk6meWpZyh8XrhTsjIF-Wv6DRZgr6Xwsh7llZDgk0fXwQHr4_YMZgeojYMCo8ORLqH55HyXEfn05LGeVilLdO3RfmNqhU9l0S8WXJC0HrJONJuXeT4EQ-HvbKNFpI4/s1600/Colorado-Springs-CO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorado Springs City</td></tr></tbody></table><br />DENVER — Officials in Colorado's second-largest city voted Tuesday to ban recreational marijuana shops, becoming the largest community in the state to utilize an opt-out provision of a law that legalized the non-medical use of pot.<br /><br />After two hours of public comments, the Colorado Springs City Council voted 5-4 to bar retail pot stores from opening within the city limits. The debate and vote came after Mayor Steve Bach publicly said he would veto the ordinance if the council approved allowing the recreational outlets.<br /><br />"I say we should stand with our neighbors on this issue," Bach testified before the vote, referring to nearby communities in the same county that have banned the pot shops.<br /><br />Colorado Springs has a population of about 420,000 with a large military and evangelical Christian presence and is one of the most conservative and Republican areas in a state which in recent election cycles has turned leftward.<br /><br />Last year, Colorado and Washington were the first U.S. states to legalize recreational marijuana, and the Colorado law allows cities or counties to outlaw marijuana stores in their communities. Nearly 20 states, including Colorado, allow marijuana use for medical purposes.<br /><br />Colorado Springs does have medical marijuana dispensaries, which would be unaffected by the recreational pot vote.<br /><br /><br />But the federal government lists cannabis as a dangerous narcotic and considers it illegal for any purpose, a point underscored by Colorado Springs residents who spoke on Tuesday in favor of the ban.<br /><br />Brian Burnett, vice chancellor of finance for the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, said allowing cannabis stores could affect the school's ability to seek government research grants and provide college educations to military veterans.<br /><br />"We are heavily federally funded," he said.<br /><br />But resident Rob Wiley urged the council to approve the shops so "black market street dealers no longer will have the exclusive franchise" on marijuana sales.<br /><br />Elected bodies of 35 Colorado towns or cities have voted to opt out of allowing recreational marijuana stores, according to data from the Colorado Municipal League. The possession and use of small amounts of cannabis by adults is still legal in the communities that have banned non-medical pot shops.<br /><br />In November, voters statewide will decide whether to impose a 25 percent excise and sales tax on recreational pot sales to fund its regulation and enforcement.<img alt="Reuters" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/99/6a6e1e9d2013e8fe84e6814a7d491/_h17_w0_m6_otrue_lfalse.gif" /><br /><div><br /></div>

Colorado Springs bans recreational marijuana shops

The City Council of Colorado Springs voted 5-4 to bar retail pot stores after Mayor Steve Bach threatened to veto any move to approve them. ...

Sen. Udall calls for review of Patriot Act

Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado urged a review of the Patriot Act after reports of data collection by the government, while Sen. Rand Paul may seek a legal challenge.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" Senator calls for review of Patriot Act: Sen. Mark Udall speaks in Arizona. " class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/b8/c6fdca56c873287ac5d141781624fd/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=" Senator calls for review of Patriot Act: Sen. Mark Udall speaks in Arizona. (Reuters Photo: Laura Segall, File)" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reuters Photo: Laura Segall, File. Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado speaks in Arizona. </td></tr></tbody></table>WASHINGTON — <img alt="Reuters" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/99/6a6e1e9d2013e8fe84e6814a7d491/_h17_w0_m6_otrue_lfalse.gif" title="Reuters" />A Democratic senator called for a reopening of the Patriot Act, the post-Sept.11, 2001, law that gave intelligence agencies broader powers of data surveillance, after disclosures the government has been collecting massive amounts of data on phone and Internet activities.<br /><br />Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado said Sunday that he thought a review of the law was warranted as reports of the data collection stirred a debate over privacy rights in the United States.<br /><br />"I think we ought to reopen the Patriot Act and put some limits on the amount of data that the National Security (Agency) is collecting," Udall told the ABC program "This Week."<br /><br />"We do need to remember, we're in a war against terrorists, and terrorism remains a real threat, but I also think we have to cue to the Bill of Rights, and the Fourth Amendment, which prevents unlawful searches and seizures, ought to be important to us," Udall said. "It ought to remain sacred, and there's got to be a balance here."<br /><br />The Guardian reported last week that the secret National Security Agency has been mining phone records from millions of American customers of a subsidiary of Verizon Communications.<br /><div><div>The Washington Post revealed that federal authorities have been tapping into the central servers of companies including Google, Apple and Facebook to gain access to emails, photos and other files.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told "Fox News Sunday" he would consider a legal challenge to the constitutionality of the phone surveillance program.</div><div><br /></div><div>"They are looking at a billion phone calls a day, from what I read in the press, and that doesn't sound to me like a modest invasion of privacy. It sounds like an extraordinary invasion of privacy," Paul said.</div></div><div><div>But two senior lawmakers defended the Obama administration's phone and Internet surveillance programs, saying they have helped to prevent attacks on the country and have been subjected to strict reviews.</div><div><br /></div><div>"These programs are within the law," said Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told "This Week."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Part of our obligation is keeping Americans safe," Feinstein added. "Human intelligence isn't going to do it."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, agreed with Feinstein that the programs were important for national security.</div><div><br /></div><div>"One of the things that we're charged with is keeping America safe and keeping our civil liberties and privacy intact. I think we have done both in this particular case," he said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Additional reporting by Paul Simao and David Morgan</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucx7_-knnilA3_rQsv-1fyWO9ixEFCvK73ah0uNIScNqZ-gFxcPTZGX5SyTTQJIQJuqKI9VnzrOHW01bUWClrMfzVCN7LKVvwVSK33cYpPMKjBTJ_pOT4JBDWNw_oWO4k9YFAVCHQ5dU/s1600/index.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucx7_-knnilA3_rQsv-1fyWO9ixEFCvK73ah0uNIScNqZ-gFxcPTZGX5SyTTQJIQJuqKI9VnzrOHW01bUWClrMfzVCN7LKVvwVSK33cYpPMKjBTJ_pOT4JBDWNw_oWO4k9YFAVCHQ5dU/s1600/index.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div>

Sen. Udall calls for review of Patriot Act

Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado urged a review of the Patriot Act after reports of data collection by the government, while Sen. Rand Paul may s...

Gusty winds cause 4 hot air balloon crashes near Denver

At least five people were injured in the Denver area as gusty winds caused four unrelated hot air balloon accidents.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" Denver balloon crashes: A hot air balloon crashed, Saturday, June 8, in Arvada, Colo. " class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/a5/f868d7ca42f562ed709a38d5959a1d/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=" Denver balloon crashes: A hot air balloon crashed, Saturday, June 8, in Arvada, Colo. (AP Photo: Arvada Fire Department, Scott Pribble)" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AP Photo: Arvada Fire Department, Scott Pribble. A hot air balloon crashed, Saturday, June 8, in Arvada, Colo. </td></tr></tbody></table><br />DENVER — Authorities said gusty winds sweeping through the Denver area Saturday caused several hot air balloon crashes that injured at least five people.<br /><br />The four unrelated accidents all happened within miles and about an hour of each other.<br /><br />In rural Boulder County, Sheriff's Deputy Mitch Rosebrough said a dozen people were riding in a balloon that came down at about 9 a.m. in a field southeast of Boulder.<br /><br />The pilot was trying to land when the basket hit the ground and was dragged about 50 yards. Two women were taken to a hospital for evaluation of neck and back injuries.<br /><br />Balloon pilot Jeff Meeker, of Boulder-based Fair Winds Hot Air Balloon Flights, said the incident was not a crash but a "high-wind landing."<br /><br />"For the safety of our passengers, it was a calculated decision to put it down in the best place we could," he told The Associated Press.<br /><br />"The first 45 minutes were absolutely gorgeous, and then the winds just started picking up," he said, adding, "It's Mother Nature, and Mother Nature sometimes lets you know who is in charge."<br /><div><div>Meeker said hot air ballooning, a popular pastime in the area, is extremely safe, and it's rare for several balloons to go down on the same day.</div><div><br /></div><div>"It was just one of those days," he said. "This is obviously not our normal landing conditions."</div><div><br /></div><div>Meeker was ticketed for landing in the field, a protected habitat for ground-nesting birds. The driver of a vehicle that went to recover the balloon also was ticketed for driving into the area.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just before Meeker's balloon crashed, another balloon operated by a different company went down in the Rocky Flats area south of Boulder.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dana Lewis, an engineer with the Rocky Mountain Fire District, said one of the 11 people on board suffered an ankle injury.</div><div><br /></div><div>"We were watching the balloons go overhead and the balloon that crashed into Rocky Flats, they were screaming," he said. "They were definitely going fast."</div><div><br /></div><div>In Arvada, one person was injured when a hot air balloon crashed into power lines and sparked a small brush fire at about 8 a.m., police said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Three people were in the basket when the balloon crashed near a highway intersection, said Arvada police spokeswoman Jill McGranahan.</div><div><br /></div><div>McGranahan didn't have details on the injured person.</div><div><br /></div><div>In nearby Louisville, a balloon went down, injuring the pilot, who cut his wrist crashing into an undeveloped industrial park at about 7:45 a.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>"They were attempting to land and got caught up in some pretty stiff winds," said Louisville Patrol Sgt. Mark Spinder.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were five passengers in the balloon but none were injured, he said.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crashes, all of which happened in the suburbs northwest of Denver.<img alt="AP" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/e3/12e7ff08bf55a6d7449b766b4e23c/_h17_w0_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" title="AP" /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PwF5z-WOvcbrC1YyLOqZMu2W3lQ319Q8DN6U56O_sHjjHz_U4q9d8GxhBE2ITqpuuq0JSZiscmXMf3Xoe1lkzDsIS85K2t4GQBgc-1Npv23dkarlfPrpnReTW-tQvIqTdZaILXNqEWg/s1600/index.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PwF5z-WOvcbrC1YyLOqZMu2W3lQ319Q8DN6U56O_sHjjHz_U4q9d8GxhBE2ITqpuuq0JSZiscmXMf3Xoe1lkzDsIS85K2t4GQBgc-1Npv23dkarlfPrpnReTW-tQvIqTdZaILXNqEWg/s1600/index.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div>

Gusty winds cause 4 hot air balloon crashes near Denver

At least five people were injured in the Denver area as gusty winds caused four unrelated hot air balloon accidents. AP Photo: Arvada Fire D...

Hearing for Colo. teen in slaying of schoolgirl

<div class="first">GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado community sent into a panic over the kidnapping, killing and dismembering of a 10-year-old girl last fall may learn whether the teenager charged with the crime asks for a trial Friday despite his alleged confession.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnQwubow6CveLg9xMvMghVgJrXqiojz-PATMTHSoFC62waGYOH0suowXdmbMZuSjph97Pwxx1X1imT272myUAo1iFnLBY-IJDSBVjWZIKc2SmFuyibiIY6lIQQb135vPfxfeoBF-TSyPd/s1600/Reed+Sigg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnQwubow6CveLg9xMvMghVgJrXqiojz-PATMTHSoFC62waGYOH0suowXdmbMZuSjph97Pwxx1X1imT272myUAo1iFnLBY-IJDSBVjWZIKc2SmFuyibiIY6lIQQb135vPfxfeoBF-TSyPd/s1600/Reed+Sigg.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div class="first"><span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1365776468120_1">Austin Sigg</span>, 18, is to enter a plea in the Oct. 5 disappearance and slaying of <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1365776468120_2">Jessica Ridgeway</span> in the Denver suburb of Westminster and a May attack on a 22-year-old jogger at a lake in <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1365776468120_3">Jessica</span>'s neighborhood.</div><br /><div id="yui_3_8_1_19_1365777845068_211"><span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1365776468120_6">Sigg</span> originally was to enter a plea on March 12. </div><br /><span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1365776468120_4">Defense attorney Katherine Spengler</span> asked for more time to study the evidence and analyze his mental state at the time of the crime. <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1365776468120_5">Judge Stephen Munsinger</span> granted the request.<br /><br />Sigg is charged with murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and robbery. Prosecutors added three counts of sexual exploitation of a child because child pornography was allegedly found during the investigation. Sigg denied to investigators that he sexually assaulted Jessica.<br /><br />Sigg also faces an attempted kidnapping charge for the jogger attack.<br /><br />Sigg cannot face the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the slaying. He faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years if convicted. <br /><br />If he is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he could be confined indefinitely to a mental hospital.<br /><br />Jessica, a fifth grader, disappeared after she left her house to meet a friend two blocks away on their way to school. <br /><br />Hundreds of police and residents searched for her, and parents escorted their children to and from school. <br /><br />The FBI asked residents to report suspicious behavior by friends, neighbors and even family members. Her torso was found in a secluded park Oct. 10.<br /><br />A resident contacted authorities Oct. 19 to report Sigg because he reportedly had a fascination with death, Westminster police Detective Luis Lopez testified at a preliminary hearing. <br /><br />Two FBI agents took a DNA sample from Sigg. His mother called 911 on Oct. 23, saying he wanted to confess. <br /><br />Lopez said Sigg's DNA was found on Jessica's clothing.<br />Investigators said Sigg told them that some of Jessica's remains were hidden in a crawl space in his mother's home, where he lived.<br /><br />Detectives said he described how he abducted Jessica as she walked past his car, bound her arms and her legs, drove around for a little bit then took her to his house. <br /><br />There, he told investigators, he tried to strangle her and then used his hands to kill her. He also told investigators that he dismembered Jessica in a bathtub.<br /><br />Lopez testified that Sigg attended a community college and took classes in mortuary sciences.

Hearing for Colo. teen in slaying of schoolgirl

GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado community sent into a panic over the kidnapping, killing and dismembering of a 10-year-old girl last fall ma...

James Holmes' psychiatrist warned police of threats, homicidal thoughts 38 days before shooting

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZkDI9Q1lWbbNa3g5W_PGFE7gopFyvYOCUMUc62TG3OgCcE4v61KtlaX6nXDHCdlNZVo5ANNt0I9xshm9C8sLshJEqjAN0JMMdLvhPNkBnRbDJcZgwvus9mezky1JdZZkfN1wgEaEWWrq/s1600/publimetro.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZkDI9Q1lWbbNa3g5W_PGFE7gopFyvYOCUMUc62TG3OgCcE4v61KtlaX6nXDHCdlNZVo5ANNt0I9xshm9C8sLshJEqjAN0JMMdLvhPNkBnRbDJcZgwvus9mezky1JdZZkfN1wgEaEWWrq/s1600/publimetro.gif" /></a><br />Newly unsealed court documents in the James Holmes murder case revealed that his therapist warned a Colorado University police officer that Holmes had confessed to homicidal thoughts and was a danger to society 38 days before the shooting at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater. <br /><br />Dr. Lynne Fenton told police in June that Holmes had intimidated and threatened her, for which he was banned from the campus. <br /><br />That testimony contradicts earlier statements from Fenton who, in the days initially following the July 2012 attack that killed 12 people and injured 70 more, claimed she hadn’t warned any law enforcement of the former neuroscience student’s June 11 admission that he fantasized about killing “a lot of people.” <br /><br />On June 12 Fenton told campus officer Lynn Whitten that Holmes had also sent threatening text messages, at which point Whitten deactivated his security card.<br /><br /> Holmes purchased the AR-15 he allegedly used in the attack on June 13.

James Holmes' psychiatrist warned police of threats, homicidal thoughts 38 days before shooting

Newly unsealed court documents in the James Holmes murder case revealed that his therapist warned a Colorado University police officer that ...

1 of FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives surrenders

<div class="abs">The FBI says a fugitive on its Ten Most Wanted list surrendered to face charges in a 2011 Colorado slaying. </div><section><div class="first" data-class="float1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohg0-cyW0ToY_-fy5PpESbQ6AV6c0nDwXUwSIXyCIilQXqMqaZYeL5l9sTDUadWpucNsfeZ0plOp6TWKvw3slWRVzlk8nNG6Q6LRyUb8cK6WM5IYLK2I9pZyaAOGcDmqNy7U-7zbGkZhz/s1600/Edwin+Ernesto+Rivera+Gracias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohg0-cyW0ToY_-fy5PpESbQ6AV6c0nDwXUwSIXyCIilQXqMqaZYeL5l9sTDUadWpucNsfeZ0plOp6TWKvw3slWRVzlk8nNG6Q6LRyUb8cK6WM5IYLK2I9pZyaAOGcDmqNy7U-7zbGkZhz/s1600/Edwin+Ernesto+Rivera+Gracias.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>DENVER — One of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives has voluntarily returned from El Salvador to Colorado to face a first-degree murder charge in a 2011 slaying, the FBI said Wednesday.</div>Edwin Ernesto Rivera Gracias landed in Centennial, Colo., with FBI agents Wednesday afternoon, less than two weeks after being added to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.<br />The surrender of Rivera Gracias, a citizen of El Salvador, came after the FBI announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The FBI isn't releasing further details related to the reward.<br />Rivera Gracias was wanted in Jefferson County in the slaying of Richard Limon, 69, whose body was found near a guardrail on Lookout Mountain in 2011. He had been stabbed multiple times.<br />An affidavit filed in federal court alleges Rivera Gracias had talked about killing Limon because of allegations that Limon molested Rivera Gracias' girlfriend. The girlfriend was the daughter of Limon's wife.<br />Limon's wife and another man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case and have been sentenced to prison. Rivera Gracias' girlfriend pleaded guilty to being an accessory to commit murder.<br />"This outcome provides assurance for victims and prosecutors throughout the United States that those who commit egregious crimes will be pursued around the globe," said Steve Olson, FBI Denver acting special agent in charge, in a written statement.</section>

1 of FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives surrenders

The FBI says a fugitive on its Ten Most Wanted list surrendered to face charges in a 2011 Colorado slaying. DENVER — One of the FBI's Te...

Colorado Legislature OKs expansion of firearms checks

<div class="abs" style="text-align: left;">Colorado's Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign legislation expanding background checks for private and online gun purchases in the state after it passed the state House Friday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRaE4SKHwo0iwJcKfZD6aByoXeyV6QBXJQK_BmvsFkY09jZwM47QgDV4eNn2Ndfh1AM_WMO-ftnN_OmdkGTV0uhMtTpv8vA4oRGR9D1PmG-wuAdwSAj9XPTB2T6R24YxwW6H-f92KdJhA/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRaE4SKHwo0iwJcKfZD6aByoXeyV6QBXJQK_BmvsFkY09jZwM47QgDV4eNn2Ndfh1AM_WMO-ftnN_OmdkGTV0uhMtTpv8vA4oRGR9D1PmG-wuAdwSAj9XPTB2T6R24YxwW6H-f92KdJhA/s1600/%2540publimetro.us.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="abs" style="text-align: left;"> </div><ul><li><section>DENVER — Colorado lawmakers have passed expanded background checks for private and online firearm purchases and sent the bill to the governor's desk for his expected approval.</section></li><li><section>The bill was passed Friday in the Democratic-controlled House by a 36-27 vote, with only one Democrat opposing.</section></li><li><section>The bill came in response to the mass shootings last year at a suburban Denver movie theater and Connecticut elementary school.</section></li><li><section>Democrats in the Senate approved the bill earlier.</section></li><li><section>Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper called for the checks during this State of the State address in January. He's expected to sign the bill within two weeks.</section></li><li><section>Republicans say the background-check requirement can't be enforced without universal gun registration, which they oppose.</section></li><li><section>Democrats insist that growing online gun sales and sales outside stores and gun shows have created a big loophole in gun transfers without background checks.</section></li></ul><br />

Colorado Legislature OKs expansion of firearms checks

Colorado's Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign legislation expanding background checks for private and online gun purchases in th...

Colorado lawmakers approve bill for same-sex civil unions

A bill to legalize same-sex civil unions in Colorado won final approval from state lawmakers on Tuesday and was expected to be signed into law, reflecting a recent shift to the left in the political balance of power in the Denver statehouse.<br /><br /><br /><span id="midArticle_1"><img alt="Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper speaks at the reopening and remembrance of the Century Aurora Theater in Aurora, Colorado January 17, 2013. James Holmes is accused of killing 12 people and wounding 70 others on July 20, 2012. REUTERS/ RJ Sangosti/Pool" border="0" height="381" src="http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20130313&t=2&i=712163974&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=CBRE92C0A6E00" width="640" /></span><br /><span></span><br />Supporters of the Democratic-sponsored measure, which cleared the state House of Representatives on a 39-26 vote, say it would make gay and lesbian couples eligible for the most of the same benefits, protections and responsibilities currently extended only to heterosexual spouses.<br /><span id="midArticle_2"></span>Colorado is one of 30 states with a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman.<br /><span id="midArticle_3"></span>Assuming enactment of the newly passed bill, Colorado would join eight states that recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships in lieu of gay marriage, according to the Human Rights Campaign.<br /><span id="midArticle_4"></span>Another nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage outright. Among those states, Washington state, Maine and Maryland in November became the first in the nation to approve gay marriage at the ballot box.<br /><span id="midArticle_5"></span>Republicans, who previously controlled the lower house of Colorado's General Assembly, foiled passage of similar legislation during the past two years.<br /><span id="midArticle_6"></span>But Democrats gained a House majority in November's elections, giving them the votes needed to pass a civil unions bill after Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, opened the legislative session in January by urging passage of such a measure.<br /><span id="midArticle_7"></span>LARGELY PARTY-LINE VOTES<br /><span id="midArticle_8"></span>The bill, which cleared the Democratic-controlled state Senate last month, 21-14, is scheduled to go into effect on May 1 after receiving Hickenlooper's signature.<br /><span id="midArticle_9"></span>Although winning passage on mostly party-line votes of Democrats, the measure drew support from one Republican in the Senate and two in the House.<br /><span id="midArticle_10"></span>Among other rights, the measure would allow same-sex couples to make vital health decisions for an incapacitated partner, collect survivor benefits after the death of a partner, adopt a partner's child and visit a partner who is incarcerated in prison or confined to a mental health facility.<br /><span id="midArticle_11"></span>"This bill is about three simple things: it's about love, it's about family and it's about equality under the law," Colorado House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, an openly gay Democrat and a sponsor of the bill, told fellow lawmakers.<br /><span id="midArticle_12"></span>Also on Tuesday, the judiciary committee of the Minnesota state Senate voted 5-3 to send on to the full Senate a bill that would grant same-sex couples the right to marry.<br /><span id="midArticle_13"></span>In November, Minnesota voters became the first in the nation to reject a ballot measure proposing a constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples.<br /><span id="midArticle_14"></span>Before final passage of the civil unions bill in Colorado, lawmakers rejected a number of Republican-sponsored amendments to the bill.<br /><span id="midArticle_15"></span>One would have granted faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies an exemption to refuse to place children with same-sex couple on religious grounds.<br /><span id="midArticle_0"></span>Catholic Charities, which runs a foster care and adoption service in Colorado, said in a statement that the bill threatens the group's "valuable mission to the community."<br /><span id="midArticle_1"></span>CitizenLink, a policy arm of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, also opposed the bill.<br /><span id="midArticle_2"></span>"The basic objection is that it mimics marriage, and marriage is an institution that should be held up as an ideal for society, and the only definition of marriage there is one man and one woman," said Bruce Hausknecht of CitizenLink.

Colorado lawmakers approve bill for same-sex civil unions

A bill to legalize same-sex civil unions in Colorado won final approval from state lawmakers on Tuesday and was expected to be signed into l...